This invention relates to telecommunications switching, and in particular, to wireless terminals.
Wireless terminals utilized in an in-building environment normally are part of the user""s call coverage group (also referred to as a call coverage path). Often, the call coverage group will consist of the user""s wired telephone, wireless telephone, secretarial support telephone, and voice messaging system. In most instances, a wireless terminal is left in a desktop or a bulk charging unit when the user is not expecting to receive calls or has left the building. Since the wireless terminal is typically within the wireless coverage area of the wireless telecommunication switching system capable of receiving calls, the wireless telecommunication switching system attempts to deliver calls to the wireless terminal as part of the call coverage group. Normally, a wireless telecommunication switching system will attempt to alert a wireless terminal for 24 seconds before attempting to complete an incoming call on the next unit in the call coverage group. The wireless telecommunication switching system has no mechanism for determining that the wireless terminal is being charged. In many installations, bulk charging units are utilized. The bulk charging unit is placed next to the exit and entrance from the building and is utilized to charge a number of wireless terminals at one time while the users are out of the building.
The prior art has attempted to resolve this problem by allowing the user to turn the wireless terminal off, thus providing an xe2x80x9cout of areaxe2x80x9d indication to the wireless telecommunication system when the wireless terminal is turned off. Unfortunately, it takes a great amount of time before the wireless telecommunication system detects that the wireless terminal is no longer powered on. In addition, it is very easy for the user to forget to power down the wireless terminal when inserting it into a battery charger. Other prior art wireless telecommunication systems allow the user to activate a button on the wireless terminal to place the wireless terminal in a xe2x80x9csend all callsxe2x80x9d state by initiating the xe2x80x9csend all callsxe2x80x9d feature. This causes the prior art wireless telecommunication switching system to immediately advance to the next device in the call coverage path. Unfortunately, users forget to initiate the xe2x80x9csend all callsxe2x80x9d state before they insert their wireless terminal into the charger. Also, users will forget to deactivate the xe2x80x9csend all callsxe2x80x9d feature after removing their wireless terminals from the charger. This results in the users missing calls that normally would have been received on their wireless terminals.
This invention is directed to solving these and other problems and disadvantages of the prior art. Illustratively according to the invention, a wireless terminal when inserted into a charging unit transmits to a wireless telecommunication switching system a xe2x80x9cplugged into chargerxe2x80x9d message. The wireless telecommunication switching system is responsive to the xe2x80x9cplugged into chargerxe2x80x9d message to remove the wireless terminal from the call coverage path of the user.
Advantageously, the wireless telecommunication switching system can add to the call coverage path of the user the telephone number of the cellular telephone utilized by the user when the user is out of the building.
Advantageously, in a second embodiment of the invention, the wireless terminal transmits the message to invoke the xe2x80x9csend all callsxe2x80x9d state when the wireless terminal is plugged into a charging unit. Advantageously, in a third embodiment of the invention, the wireless terminal transmits a call transfer message that transfers all incoming calls to another terminal when the wireless terminal is plugged into the charging unit.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of illustrative embodiments of the invention considered together with the drawing.